Ranking Every AFC West QB Duo From Worst to Best

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a division where quarterback play is imperative. How does their new quarterback room stack up against their divisional rivals?

Apr 8, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks at a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders reside in one of the toughest divisions in football, which doesn't bode well for their chances of having a quick one-year turnaround. Every team in the AFC West wants to make the playoffs next season, and the Raiders are the only team for whom it's acceptable if they don't.

After all, Klint Kubiak can only do so much to improve a roster that won just three games last season. The most important thing he did this offseason was revamp their quarterback room to make them more competitive. How does their new quarterback duo compare when looking at the rest of their division?

Kansas City Chiefs

Dec 21, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) during warm ups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Patrick Mahomes was going to be atop this list regardless of who his backup was, but adding Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs cements them as having the best quarterback duo in the AFC West. The Raiders are going to have a lot of trouble stopping this quarterback duo next season.

Fields gives Andy Reid a lot of creative options to use him in goal-line packages if he wants to, but also gives them a backup with valuable starter experience in case Mahomes gets hurt again. The Raiders have bolstered their secondary, so they stand a better chance, but their quarterback room is still far away from contending with them.

Denver Broncos

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs during the fourth quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Next are the Denver Broncos with their quarterback duo of Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham. They are the reigning AFC West champions, and a large part of that was due to the step Nix took last season. Nix has never lost to the Raiders in his career, and that's something Kubiak wants to change in 2026.

They were able to keep Maxx Crosby, and he'll play a big role in stopping Nix's production on the ground whenever they meet. Stidham is a serviceable backup, but he isn't going to strike fear into the Raiders' defense if they play against him.

Las Vegas Raiders

May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) speaks during a news conference at the team’s Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Raiders being third requires a bit of projection on my part, but I believe it's only a matter of time before Fernando Mendoza is the best quarterback in the AFC West. All of his contemporaries are only getting older, and he holds the brightest future out of all of them.

Kirk Cousins is technically the starter, but he will be a backup sooner rather than later. He's one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, with playoff experience under his belt. Their mix of experience and potential puts them in third place.

Los Angeles Chargers

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) looks to pass during the third quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Call me biased, but I am not moved by the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback duo of Justin Herbert and Trey Lance. Herbert's good enough in the regular season, but he cannot get it done in the playoffs. Cousins has more playoff wins than Herbert.

Lance has tools at his disposal that make him an interesting dual-threat quarterback, but he's entering his sixth year in the NFL. If he has any potential left, time is running out for it to develop.